Having had a fairly successful Saturday birding, I decided I would head for Riverside Nature Park the following day in the hope of at least finally getting Black Tailed Godwit on my year-list. The weather forecast wasn't quite as good as the day before with lower temperatures to begin with and even the highest likely for later being a bit chillier than Saturday's average. My legs were still relatively heavy from the previous day's exertions but I got organised and headed out before 0900.
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Nuthatch
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It was fairly standard fayre to start with - Herring Gull, Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Lesser Black Backed Gull, House Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Goldfinch, Dunnock and Blackbird. A very similar selection to any day's trip to work. I decided to head for the Law, in the hope that there might be something either stopping off on its way inland/north, or at least, passing overhead on the way somewhere. Great Tit and Starling were added as I wandered up Kinghorne Road and a Chiffchaff was seen near the allotments on the east side of the hill. A Siskin was heard calling and a few Rabbits and a rather vocal Wren were also noted. A couple of Meadow Pipits passed by, one heading northwest, one on a more westerly heading but there were no other obvious migrants around.
As it was cold I chose not to linger, adding Song Thrush on my way down the Law Steps. An Oystercatcher was heard calling loudly though some way off to the south. A singing Robin, a Magpie and a few Long Tailed Tits were next onto the list as I headed for Balgay Hill where I thought there might be a chance of a few more additions for the day. Coal Tit was the first to be added just inside the entrance followed by a heard-only Buzzard mewing from somewhere in the trees on the south side slopes. I found a singing Blackcap up near the observatory, with a very confiding Chiffchaff also showing well nearby. Another 2 Blackcap males showed up and there was a bit of a chase before the original bird went back to singing again within his small patch of brambles.
A Stock Dove was spotted high in a tree near the bridge and the Nuthatch was heard calling and with a bit of effort, finally spotted, high in a tree to the north of the footbridge. I spent some time photographing the Blackcap and Chiffchaff, with a female Blackcap showing up to investigate the singing male. I had a wander up to the Observatory building where a Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen in flight and a partially leucistic Blackbird male was seen feeding on the grass. A Treecreeper and a Wren were seen near the Blackcap bramble patch and a pair of Great Tits foraged low to the ground nearby. A pair of Jays were spotted flying in to the trees surrounding the building and I was able to get some decent photos as they foraged among the leaf litter for, I suspect, acorns they'd hidden last Autumn.
It was still quite cold and there was no sign that it was going to get any warmer. Having spent longer than intended on the hill already I knew I'd probably missed the best of the tide and any reasonable views of any wader flocks. I decided that I would spend a few more hours just seeing what else I could find on the hill and round about rather than trek down to the probably even colder and more exposed Nature Park as I had intended. A pair of Stock Doves seemed untroubled by people coming and going as they perched not too high up in a tree near the west end of the footbridge. I added Chaffinch and a pair of Bullfinches with nesting material on the western half of the hill, as well as a few more pairs of Stock Doves, with one pair in particular seemingly engaging in some mutual grooming.
A small flock of 4 or 5 Siskins were perched high in one of the conifers. There were plenty of the usual suspects around and a bit of commotion turned out to be a pair of Jays mobbing a Carrion Crow that seemed to be investigating a bush where there was likely a nest that the Jays had intended on robbing, only for the Crow to intrude and take over. There were also plenty of Tits and Finches around and a Goldcrest was heard but not seen as it foraged somewhere in a tall conifer, hidden among the branches. A Greenfinch displayed in flight as I wandered back along the path on the north side of the hill. A quick look on the eastern side of the bridge gave additional views of some of the same birds seen earlier.
I decided I would wander down to City Quay, then head for Baxter Park and Swannie Ponds before heading home. The plan was abandoned though as I headed into town with what had started as a slight drizzle becoming a bit more persistent as time wore on. As I was probably unlikely to have added too many more species I wasn't too fussed. I'd seen or heard 33 species of bird and had lots of good photo opportunities though the light could probably have been better. The Black Tailed Godwits would have to wait for another day though....
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Chiffchaff
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Chiffchaff
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Chiffchaff
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Song Thrush
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Robin
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Blackbird
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Blackbird
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Jay
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Jay
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Carrion Crow
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Jay
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Jay
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Jay
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Jay
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Jay
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Song Thrush
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Robin
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Great Tit
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Blackcap
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Wren
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Blackcap
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Blackcap
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Blackcap
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Treecreeper
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Stock Dove
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Stock Dove
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Long Tailed Tit
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Great Spotted Woodpecker
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Stock Dove
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Stock Dove
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Woodpigeon
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Stock Dove
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Song Thrush
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Woodpigeon
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Bullfinch
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Bullfinch
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Bullfinch
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Bullfinch
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Jay
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Blue Tit
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Jay
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Jay
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Jay
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Jay
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Stock Dove
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Song Thrush
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Nuthatch
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Nuthatch
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Song Thrush
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Song Thrush
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Robin
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Chiffchaff
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Birds - Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House Sparrow, Jay, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Meadow Pipit, Nuthatch, Oystercatcher, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Siskin, Song Thrush, Starling, Stock Dove, Treecreeper, Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals - Rabbit.
